


Hide, Seek, and Imaginary Friends

by Stryc_9



Category: Ready or Not (2019)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Covid-fueled procrasta-writing, Daniel survives, F/M, Possible future sexy-times, alex is a shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:21:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23799949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stryc_9/pseuds/Stryc_9
Summary: The Le Domas' drags Grace into a deadly game of hide and seek. Too bad for them she grew up playing the game with her imaginary friend, one Mr. B. With an orphan's will and a new ally the Le Domas' are at a serious disadvantage they won't discover till its too late. It seems someone thinks that it is time for a new head of the gaming dominion.
Relationships: Daniel Le Domas & Grace Le Domas, Daniel Le Domas/Grace Le Domas
Comments: 27
Kudos: 177





	1. Chapter 1: The Binding

The preparations for the ceremony were tedious, to say the least. Grace had been posed and primed while the photographer and butler, Stephens, touched up her makeup and positioned her like a doll. She continued to avoid the gaze of her gargoyle-esque aunt-in-law-to-be as the preening and fanfare continued. Just as she was houghing out a sigh while wondering Daniel slid up to her side. 

“Don’t take it personally. They’re just trying to figure out if you’re a gold-digging whore. You know...like my wife.” He says with a mirthful glint. He’s drunk already and she can smell the scotch on his breath. Suddenly he shifts to the side and puts his fingers up like a gun. 

“Charlies Angels!” he half-yells. The tension that had been there all day suddenly was cut through as she practically snorts in response. 

“Come on!” He urges, “be the family fuck up with me” he whispers conspiratorially to her with a crooked grin and a wink. Laughing she turns as well. Stephens’ annoyance makes her laugh all the harder when he reluctantly snaps the shot. Grace and Daniel are both laughing deeply now. A quick scolding from his mother puts things back in order. 

“Come now Daniel, stop goofing off and take the pictures seriously!” A few shots later he’s looking at her from the side of his eye. 

“Last chance for a quicky before we’re officially family.” There is a humor in his voice as he suddenly pulls her into his side. She’s torn between laughing and not being sure if he’s serious. But turns to him with a look of disbelief and a large grin. 

Daniel furrows his brow as if he is finally understanding something. “No, you’re right. Better to wait till we’re brother and sister.” She responds with a very un-ladylike snort, earning her a quick glare from her future mother-in-law. 

As soon as the photos were complete everyone was shepparded to their places, while she stands alone in the tent waiting for her cue to walk down the aisle. She suddenly wished that Daniel was back. He was a bit over the top but she always felt more relaxed around him, unlike his other family which made her feel on edge all the time. As the music began to play she moves her way from the tent with a deep breath. 

The wedding went just as Grace thought it would. The sun shown brightly as she walked the length of the south lawn. All of her future family and her friends lined both sides of the aisle. She had insisted on the whole “pick a seat, not a side” thing. It would be far too depressing to have her side of the aisle only populated by a few old college friends and rows of empty seats. The foster system she was raised in had taught her to be tough but had left her with a distinctive whole in the shape of a family. That hole was, she thought, the perfect shape to be filled in by the Le Domas family. She desperately longed for a large family, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunt, and uncles. She hoped that her future children would feel held and loved by many people in a way she had not been. Sure her childhood was not all bad, but it never felt like home. It never felt safe or stable. That was all before she met Alex. He had charmed her. He made her feel wanted and loved. He always seemed to know just what to say. He was perfect.

Now with the light shining brightly and the flowers throughout the garden, she could finally see her future, her family, coming into focus. She beamed as she slowly walked to him, her prince and her forever. He smiled back at her like he always did. His smile a mirror of hers. Somewhere doves were released. The wedding she had wanted was more intimate. Alex had wanted a big to-do with invitations being sent to a much wider net. But the compromise was that the guest list would be small and in exchange, she would not complain too loudly at the opulent expenses. And so... the doves were released. The tool and lace dress finer than she would have preferred and the food extravagant. But what else is to be expected when marrying into a family with a gaming dominion. 

When taking her place at Alex’s side she tried to ignore the looks from some of his family, especially his aunt -- the harpy that she is, hunched in her chair and glaring. She locked onto Alex’s eyes instead. Those blue eyes seem like a beacon keeping her grounded and guiding her safely to shore. She could hear him speak while he looked back into her eyes.

“I, Alex Le Domas, take you Grace Galya, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; until death do us part.” His words to confident with a grin to match. With a deep breath, she responds.

“I, Grace Galya, take you, Alex Le Domas, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; To be my family and my safety through the good times and the bad; until death do us part” The kiss they share is chaste but sweet. And with the cheers of the attendees, she is presented as the new Mrs. Le Domas; Grace had never been so happy. For only a moment does she feel a sense of something ominous on the horizon. She meets Daniel’s gaze. He is smiling, but it seems hollow and tense. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembers what he said earlier that day: It’s not too late to flee, you know? 

Something is Daniel’s demeanor is unsettling but Grace can’t place why. This family is full of characters, but somehow, this is one seems different. She just chalks it up to his playing the debaucherous brother as her attention is grabbed by yet another person shaking her hand and pretending to be sincere in welcoming her into the family. Alex had warned her about the way his family could be, but she just hoped that, in time, they would accept her. After all, the only thing she ever wanted was a family. 

Once the festivities were over she sunk clumsily onto her bed. Sometime later Alex entered the room from whatever meeting he was having with his father. When she heard him enter Grace was suddenly giddy again, greeting him with a kiss. 

“Do you remember anything that happened today?” Grace giggled as she asked moving in to kiss Alex again. 

“It’s all a god damn blur.” Came his deadpan response. “Did...did we get married?” She loves his humor. It’s one of the things that made her fall in love with him in the first place. 

“You’re my husband!” She squealed and laughs, climbing onto his lap and kissing him again while trying to work him out of his pants fully intent on continuing their bone-a-thon. When a bit of movement catches her eye she is startled. “Holy shit, someone’s here!”

“Everyone is waiting” Aunt Helen intones before turning to leave. Alex strikes Grace as being more on edge than he ought to be. Sure that was real weird, but his shoulders tensed and he hunched slightly like he does when he’s about to do something he doesn’t want to. Sighing he takes her hand. 

“I’m sorry honey, my aunt Helen has boundary issues…” dropping her hand he starts to pace and now Grace is really starting to worry. “The thing is my family has this little tradition, a family ritual, where a new member has to play a game.”

“A game? What game?” One of Grace’s eyebrows quarks up slightly.

“I dono, you draw a card. It could be badminton, chess, but what matters is that you play. You don’t even have to win.” He seems so stressed, but Grace just laughs it off.  _ All families have their little traditions, I guess _ she thinks to her self with a smile. She’s always wanted a family tradition. 

“Come on, everyone should be in the music room.” 

“Ah, yes. The music room” lifting her head slightly she intones in the most snobbish voice she can muster. “A perfectly normal room to have in a house.” Alex finally laughs a little and taking her hand again they leave. 

Once Grace enters the music room. She starts feeling nervous yet again. Alex’s sister, husband, and two children have finally arrived. Emily runs up to Grace as soon as she sees her. 

“Oh! Congratulations! We’re gonna be best friends!” Grace coughs when she notices the remnants of white powder under Emily’s nose. She brushes her own trying to let Emily know that its there. Luckily she catches the hint and chuckled as she wipes it away. Filch is next to say hello. His congratulatory smirk and eye rake of Grace’s body feels uncomfortable. Daniel’s flirting was more invasive and yet less creepy. Speaking of which the whiskey-soaked sibling could be seen grumpily lounging on a loveseat. His bowtie undone, glass in hand as he tried to stop the kids from running around in masks pretending to kill each other. All of this was made more stressful by Alex’s remaining extremely high strung. 

When Stephen entered the room and indicated that everything was ready the kids were sent to bed and everyone was shuffled into the game room. While the others took their seats she noted all the odd items adorning the walls. It was like a cross between a trophy room and board game haven between all the collectors games and mounted heads. 

“Come grace” Tony, Alex’s father, motioned for her to take her seat. 

“Oh, storytime,” Daniel mutters sarcastically, he seemed to become increasingly dejected since the ceremony, as he drank his god-only-knows-how-many glasses of whiskey. But he wasn’t wrong. Tony launched into a monologue about the family history and the tradition of game playing while passing along a little wooden box like it was show and tell in preschool. His description of Mr. La Bail sparked an interest in Grace as she listened with rapt attention. She loved playing games. As a young child, she had an imagery friend she loved dearly and while she was passed from house to house, he remained her constant companion. They would play games together like tag, red like/green light, and hide and seek. Games she hadn’t played since she was a child running through abandoned properties and old junkyards. Those were the best times of her childhood. She always found her games and imaginary play as an escape from a less than ideal childhood. Finally, Grace snapped out of her thoughts as Tony wrapped up his speech. 

“Grace, if you could do us the honor.” The little box he had just loaded with a blank card to her. Looking around she giggled nervously as they waited for the mechanical system to kick out a card. After a few seconds, it clicked and she pulled it out before laughing. 

“Are we really going to play this?” She turns the card around ‘Hide and Seek’ printed plainly on the once empty card. The reactions were mixed and confusing. Daniel and Alex looked horrified. Emelie looked giddy, while the rest of the group settled into something only to be described as resolute. 

“We’ll start the count now, Grace. Good luck.” With that, she was pushed out by Tony who closed the doors behind her. As the music could be heard coming through the door singing the count down she giggled to herself.

“Well, Mr. B, I guess we’re playing again.” She smiled to herself remembering her imaginary friend and all the times they played hide and seek together. Maybe this tradition wasn’t so bad. Slipping off her shoes Grace tip-toed down the hall and crawling in a dumb waiter. Back in the game room, the Le Domas family armed up as the record reset. 

“Ready or not” Tony stated with the tone of an order and his family was on the hunt.


	2. The Beginning

“Ready or not” Tony stated with the tone of an order and his family was on the hunt.

Daniel lagged behind the rest of his family as they all too enthusiastically left the room to hunt down the newest member of their family. As he slowly stepped through the game room door his image was framed in the mirror of the armoire opposite. The one he had hidden Alex in as a child. The armoire in front of which he had served up his uncle. He suddenly felt too sober for this. 

“Daniel, damn it, boy. Get over here.” Tony said his rough voice between a whisper and a shout. Hoisting the rifle over his shoulder Daniel followed his father. So far the night was pretty uneventful as he padded behind his father and aunt, his two least favorite people. In the quite of the hunt, he reflected on their sacrifice. He really liked Grace and wished she had listened to him and fled earlier that day. No wedding, no ritual, no familial homicide. Suddenly a gunshot followed by Emily’s scream could be heard echoing through the whole house.

“Guys, over here! Over here! I found her!!” Daniel’s heart hit his stomach as he rounded the corner to his sister’s manic laughter. He didn’t want any of this to happen! Grace deserved better! He entered the room that Grace and Alex had shared together and was flooded with relief. It was one of the maids. He knew he should feel guilty that he was relieved with the woman lay there gurgling on her own blood and convulsing on the ground. Her eye shot out by his sister’s revolver.

“Does she look like she is wearing a giant white wedding dress, Emily!?” Daniel chided in a sharp tone. He was glad the bloodied mess on the floor to not be Grace, he can’t help but imagine that it is. Unbeknownst to him, the object of his worry was crouched on the other side of the bed trying desperately not to breathe. 

“You’re not supposed to kill her, honey,” Tony soothed his simpering daughter. “We need her alive for the ritual.”

Grace stared at the wall wide-eyed. She had just watched her sister-in-law shoot the brains out of a maid. _Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ she chanted in her head. _This can’t be fucking happening…_ One look at her husband and she knew it was. Had Alex not drug her behind the bed, that would have been her lying there. The hot tears were rolling down her face as Alex just stared back at her. He didn’t look surprised enough. Had he known? Was he in on it? A thousand questions whirled around her head as she started to get dizzy from holding her breath. Finally, the family settled the dispute about how to carry the now dead maid. As Daniel watched his aunt and father hoist the maid up something white caught his eye in the standing mirror. In a panic, he glanced at the others and hoped they hadn’t noticed. That had to have meant Alex had gotten to her first and was protecting her. Good, he only hoped they would both stay hidden till dawn. 

The second everyone left the room carrying the maid, Grace started to hyperventilate. Alex was at this point trying to pick her up off the ground, to convince her to run. He’s speaking to her now, but she can’t quite hear it. It’s all mumbles as she tries to get grounded in the new situation she finds herself. Before she can fully come to grips with the reality, that her new family was trying to kill her, she is being pulled into the dark service corridors. It was not helping the spiraling sense of panic curling in her chest and squeezing the life from her. At some point, she had acquired her Vanns, which she clutched to her chest. Grace sank to the floor as Alex tried to explain what was going on. The game had a wild card: hide and seek. Any other card would have been fine. He didn’t think she would get that card. It was too unlikely. Alex had really gambled her life on the bet that it was unlikely she would pull a card from a box that was nothing more than a death sentence. He had known, and he had done nothing. They couldn’t have run, everyone who did died. She can hear herself arguing with Alex in her panic. The dissociation was settling in. The fear almost choked her. 

“ _You_ wanted to get married,” She hears him offer weakly. Her head snaps up to look him in the eye.

“So it’s my fucking fault!?” She screeches as she swats him. “I know, I know.” He offered. 

“You could have told me, you could have talked to me,” the tears running down her face as she looked at the man she loved, the man she married, and silently begged him for an answer that made sense.

“If I’d told you, you would have left me.” he almost whispers it, not meeting even her eyes as the words left his mouth. Grace just stared at him. He wasn’t wrong exactly. But somehow the explanation left a bad taste in her mouth. He would rather risk her dying than lose her. If that were written in a romance book somewhere, someone might have swooned about it. But here, in the moment, it just made her queasy. “I’ll get to the control room. I’ll unlock the doors and windows. You’ll have to sneak out fast, then get out.” He leans in to kiss her both hands on either side of her face like he always does. Grace is left sitting on the cold cement floor. 

It took approximately two deep breaths for Grace to pull herself together. These mother fuckers think they could just kill her to avoid some bullshit curse or whatever. They had no idea what they were in for. Grace Galya is the god damn hide and seek champion of the whole east coast foster system! The chuckle that slipped out was a little manic sounding. But hide and seek has always been Grace’s favorite and she was good at it. Lacing up her Vanns she thought back to all the times she played. 

“What game should we play today Mr. B?” The little blond was bouncing on her bed. She turned to the gentleman lounging in the desk chair she shared with the other girl who lived in the room. He seemed relaxed with one arm on the desk, his head resting on it as if he were bored. Grace just giggled. His silence doesn’t bother her. Mr. B never really talks all that much. He communicates in other ways, a nod or shake of his head, a smile, or quirked brow. Still bouncing on the bed she started to list options and waited to see which he would agree to. “Old maid?” a frown, that meant no. “tag?” a frown again… ”poker?” a smile and a headshake. The answer she expected. They had tried to play poker only once, it had not gone well. 

“Grace! Stop jumping on the bed! Go outside and play.” The current foster father yelled from the kitchen. She could tell he was grumpy about something from his tone. Her little feet carried her down the hall, peeking over the railing to determine if she was in trouble. Down the stairs and round the corner, her little baby blue eyes wide, as she leaned around the door frame into the pale blue and white kitchen to see her current caretaker under the sink, still grumbling about something. He always gets short when working on stuff around the house. Rather than deal with his short fuse, she decided to listen. 

“I’m going out” she chirped, causing the man to jolt and smack his head and letting loose a string of curses as Grace fled to the front door to threw on her shoes. They were her favorites, Rainbow Bright Vans. Her last caretaker had bought them for her, she was a nice older woman. But her house smelled of cats and cigarette smoke. This was her third “home” so far this year and it wasn’t even time for school yet. When she finally got the front door open Mr. B was waiting on the porch, leaning against the railing of the small stoop. She could always count on him to be there, even if she couldn't count on staying in any one place. He had always found her.

“Ok, let’s play hide and seek!” with hands on her hips Grace beamed as Mr. B quirked the corner of his mouth and nodded. He always played that game with her, which suited grace just fine. She liked this game the most. Laughing she leaped over the two front steps. “You count! No cheating!” Suddenly she was down the yard and jumping over the little front hedge. 

Standing up Grace squared her shoulders and walked down the hall. Each step she caught the front of the dress she had not been all that please about in the first place. “Fuck this dress” she muttered and started ripping the tool skirt grunting and screaming in annoyance until it was a more reasonable length. She could not believe this was how her wedding night was going. Right now the only thing to do was get the hell out of dodge and give Alex a piece of her mind when they got away from here. Maybe she would stay with him, maybe she wouldn’t. But one thing was sure, Grace has always played to win and his family was going to lose. 

Daniel was helping heave the dead maid down the hall. The poor girl had been nice enough. Sure, everyone knew that his father kept the maids around as mistresses. It wasn’t talked about but also wasn’t hidden. His parents had an agreement about it. One his mother hated but accepted for the sake of family peace, whatever that was. Just down the hall, he heard a noise, one Tony had also picked up on. Just as they both looked down the lavish hallway they saw Grace looking about. She had clearly gotten turned around in the servant’s passageways. Her eyes went wide when she noticed who was now in her line of sight. 

“Found her” Daniel muttered and he wasn’t sure if it was the liquor or his panic doing it, but the room seemed to shift. Tony promptly dropped Clara and turned to move in Grace’s direction. But Grace was quick and took off down the hall. At that same moment, Emily stumbled out of the bathroom she had clearly been doing coke in. As Grace charged her Emily let out a squeal and squeezed the trigger. _God damn it._ Daniel thought to himself. There he was watching and helpless yet again as his family murdered one of their own. The loud shot was disorienting and left his ears ringing. When he looked back up Grace was already down the hall. Somehow she had dodged his sister’s bullet. 

“What the hell Emily!” Tony was irate. “She was right in front of you!” 

“I don’t know what happened, Daddy! I just lost my footing all the sudden!” She whined at her father waving the gun about recklessly. Daniel was also confused. _I know that Em is high, but she can’t be that high. Grace was less than 3 feet in front of her._ But he wouldn’t kick gift horses in the mouth. He was just glad that he didn’t have to watch the woman he had come to be very fond of bleed out in front of him. 

For Grace’s part, just as she dipped to avoid the bullet, there was movement just behind Emily. As she sprinted past the panicking girl whose gun was going off again as it hit the floor, she was sure that she saw Mr. B. Rounding the corner and slipping into the billiard room she couldn’t help but chid herself. _No way, no fucking way. You’re just stressed, Grace._ Grace could have sworn she saw Mr. B tip his hat to her as she sprinted past. But how had she not been hit not only once, but twice? Without thinking about it more Grace moved about the room trying windows to exit the room as quickly as possible. Just as she was about to throw a chair through one of the windows voices from the hallway caused her to pause. Setting the chair down as quickly as possible she flattened herself against the wall by the door. If they found her now, she would have nowhere to go. The thought of dying boosted her heart rate as her chest heaved. The door just to her right pushed open. Much to her relief, it was only Daniel that came in. They held each other’s eyes as Daniel closed the door again. Not that Grace had any reason to feel comforted by his presence or trust him, but something about the quiet way he moved across the room and the look of terror in his eyes made her think he was not on board with his relatives’ plans for “family night”

“I only came for a drink.”


	3. The Beseeching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Thank you so much everyone for your kind words of encouragement and all the kudos! I'm sorry for the long wait between chapters, I had some issues come up in both my work and personal life. But I'm happy to be back to writing! I look forward to all of your feedback and love reading your comments! Stay safe out there and happy reading!_
> 
> * * *

Grace’s eyes locked with Daniel’s. She could see the hesitancy there, hear the fear in his voice. Her heart was pounding in her ears as neither of them said anything for several seconds. Grace was on the verge of hyperventilating. None of this was supposed to happen; she was supposed to be enjoying a peaceful wedding night laughing with her new family not being hunted by them, not desperately staring into her brother-in-law’s face with a pleading look. 

“Daniel, Daniel, please…” Grace remained fixed against the wall as if it were the only thing holding her up, which it might have well been. Another pregnant pause before Daniel opened his mouth and then closed it again.

“Grace, you look terrible.” He held her gaze for a split second before Grace laughed in spite of herself. A short rough laugh, but a laugh all the same. Daniel turned and poured two glasses of whiskey, one of which he offered Grace with a lopsided smile. Pushing from the wall, Grace moved cautiously forward, still not sure that this wasn’t a trap or ploy. Tenderly she took the glass with a delicate finger brushing Daniel’s as she did. 

“You don’t look so good yourself,” she intoned with a finger pointing at the blood on his shirt left by Clara, whom he had been carrying down the hall a few moments ago. His untied bowtie and bloodshot eyes weren’t helping the disordered nature of his appearance. 

“Yea, but I never look good.” He chuckles while crossing his arms and leaning against the pool table behind him. “You should sit and rest Grace,” he advised as all playfulness slipped from his face. 

Grace sunk into the chair behind her, the one she had nearly thrown through the window. She had no reason to trust Daniel; in fact, all reason was screaming at her to flee. But she experienced a kind of calmness around him. The same kind of calmness that she felt during the photoshoot, feeling exposed and nervous with the rest of the family glaring at her. Grace fixed her gaze on him as she brought the lowball glass to her lips. She could smell the caramel hints of the whiskey, taking a small sip she never let her gaze move from Daniel. Her breath became more even as she smelt the smoke and caramel of the clearly very expensive liquid. All the time Daniel refused to meet her eyes. He was worried that if he saw them too clearly, he would break. He would help her. But he couldn’t do that. This was his family he was talking about. He had never really been able to deny them.

“I have to call the others.” His voice was quiet almost like a whisper. He had resigned himself to the events of the evening and their inevitable ending, Grace’s murder. 

“You don’t have to do this.” Grace’s voice sounded more even now, but she was pleading with him. “Daniel.” He still didn’t look up. “Daniel,” she said his name more forcefully this time causing him to shift his gaze and meet her eyes. What he saw almost took his breath away. Grace was backlit, but the fire still roared beyond the tiled hearth. Her blond hair slightly messy, a glaze of sweat on her forehead as she sat legs crossed at the knee and leaning back in the chair. Her chest was no longer heaving but rising slowly. Grace’s blue eyes reflected the low light in the room as she stared at him. He could get lost in her he realized, jerking his gaze back to the floor. But Grace had seen something in that look, something she couldn’t place but that felt right. 

“Yes, I do. This doesn’t end well for you.” He’s trying to warn her, to tell her just how serious this is, that her lounging there in the half-dark with him was not safe. “I just don’t want to be the one to serve you up,” he confesses. 

With her brow furrowed she leans forward again. “I’m asking you to help me, Daniel. Help Alex and I escape.” At this, he lightly scoffs. 

“I’m really sorry about all of this Grace.” Bringing the glass to his lips he takes a long, slow drink. “It’s true what they say, the rich really are different.” 

“Daniel,” Grace began again a bit of panic creeping back into her voice. But she is cut off by him.

“I’ll give you a ten-second head start.” He never looks at her as he says this, only taking another drink from his glass. He needs to not be sober right now. He needs to not feel the pain and self-loathing that comes with turning another family member over to be sacrificed. Grace can hear the decision in his voice. She downs the rest of the drink and runs from the room. He settles into the chair she had just vacated, the scent of her sweat and perfume still lingering slightly. The smell is uniquely her, something he shouldn’t have noticed about his brother’s wife. But a fact he had been keenly aware of earlier in the day by the fountain. Staring into his glass and fighting the bile that rose in his throat, Daniel began counting as Grace's footsteps faded. 

“One-one thousand, two-one thousand, two and one-half thousand.” Finally he had waited more than ten seconds, hoping all the while that it would be enough to give Grace an advantage. Daniel sips the liquor again; it tastes as bad as the count on his tongue. He had no choice, he had to call the others. A part of his brain rebelled to this brain: _Why?_ it had asked. This is who he is he reasoned; he was the fuck up. “She’s in the Study!” He screamed and took another swig. 

Charity had been the first in the room to find him drinking casually in the chair. The disappointment was written on her face before she ever even opened her pretty little mouth. “You let her get away?” 

“Yes dear,” He was no longer bothered by her disdain for him. He had married her because she was ruthless, and quite frankly it wouldn’t have bothered him if she had drawn the hide-and-seek card on their wedding night. He looked up to Charity as he passed her a glass, which she took with a shrug. She was pretty, there was no doubt about that. She had married him for his money and that suited him fine. Her heart was as icy as he wanted his to be. He had hoped that with time he could come to like her. She was sharp and funny in a caustic kind of way. She was the exact opposite of the kind of person he could see himself loving; that was the whole point. He started to pace to squash the rising guilt he was feeling about calling them all in the first place. Soon the other members of his little family were rushing in, excited and panicked. When they noticed there was no Grace in the room they too turned their gaze to him with disappointment. He was used to the look by now. 

Daniel had zoned out while his family bickered amongst each other. He had barely noticed when Em once again killed one of his father’s mistresses and maids. This is all good, though; the longer they fight here the better a chance Grace has of escaping. It wasn’t long before his mother took charge. Things were getting serious. Alex was missing, loose somewhere in the house. They needed the cameras his mother had argued, no matter how aunt Helene had sputtered and raved about the importance of tradition. 

Grace was down the hall and on her way to the kitchen. She hadn’t heard Daniel scream yet, which meant he had given her well over his promised ten seconds. He really was a good guy, no matter what he said. Grace hoped that he made it through the evening too, but first things first. She still hadn’t run into Alex and she could only hope that he had turned off the security and would be joining her in the kitchen. She really had some choice words for him. He had really undersold the whole ‘my family is a little crazy’ thing. But first, she needed to find a way to defend herself. Suddenly it occurred to her that there had been a gun in the game room next to all those ridiculous stuffed heads. With that, she veered to the right and gathered some ammo which she slung over her shoulder. She pulled the old double-barrel elephant gun off the wall. 

As Grace left the gaming room her eye caught the reflection she cast in the armoire opposite the door. She looked like fucking Combat Bridal Barbie for Christ’s sake. Her Texas foster family would probably be proud…She had hated her short stint in Texas and was happy to be placed in homes back east after it was over, but she had learned some useful things. 

“Ok Gracey,” The gruff man was kneeling next to her small frame, adjusting her legs and arms to make sure she was in the correct stance. “Remember to not close your eyes. If you blink you’ll miss your target every time.” His thick accent was something Grace had gotten used to while she lived with him and his wife. They were both hunting experts. “Breath in and pull the trigger when you're done breathing all the way out.” 

Grace had followed his instructions. This was not the first time they had gone to the range with the 22-rifle. Her shot was not perfect, but she clustered well and was close enough by her caretaker’s estimation. His praise had pleased her, looking up at him, her blond piggy tail braids swinging and she turned her head. He patted her head lightly. 

“Just remember, Gracey, never point a gun at anyone you don’t plan on killing.” He chuckled and took the little rifle from her hands. “Alright, girly, go on and play, but you remember the rules?”

“Yes sir! Never go down range and don’t talk to strangers!” With a nod of approval, she sprinted off to play in the sand heaps in front of the rundown range. It was outdoors so the only thing between her and her caretakers was the chain-link fence that wrapped the range. She knew the couple would be there for several more hours. So she busied herself playing in the dirt and digging up old bullet shells. She was crouched down pushing sand with a finger when a shadow seemed to envelop her. Looking up she saw that Mr. B was staring down at her. He never seemed to want to hang about when other people, like the couple, were nearby. That was fine with her, she didn’t really hang out with people much anyhow. 

“Hi, Mr. B!” she beamed up at the man, clad in a dark three-piece suit that was inappropriate for the heat of the summer day. He only gave her a nod in agreement. “Let’s play a game?” She asked excitedly, earning a pleased smirk. “How about I Spy!?”

Daniel’s loudly announcing Grace’s false location snapped her back to the moment. She needed to find that damn kitchen. Meanwhile, Alex was shuffling around the security center. He was looking at all the little taped post-it notes to determine what the login and password are. Knowing Stephen, it was probably something terribly pretentious. He just had to figure out what. Finally, he found some scrap paper with “login: Nessun Dorma password: Puccini” scrawled in messy handwriting. He plugged it in and got the cameras up and running. As the scenes came to life he could see Grace crouched behind the island in the servant’s kitchen. Panic hit as he started testing buttons to determine the best way to get the locks to disengage. 

Grace was desperately trying not to breathe too loudly while cursing herself for forgetting to load the damn rifle while in the game room. As quietly as she could, she popped the gun open. As the butler’s music reached a crescendo, she popped the bullet into place and snapped the gun shut in the noise of the teapot whistle. She needed to get the drop on him if she wanted to make it through the door when Alex finally got it open. 

Just as he was pouring the boiling water into the teapot the locks popped. Grace stood to her full height, the butt of the gun tightly against her shoulder and the barrel aimed directly at Stephen’s head. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.


End file.
